How to Take the Slice Out of Your Golf Swing

That banana ball sailing hopelessly into the right rough is one of the most frustrating sights in golf, and it's time to get it out of your game for good. A slice not only robs you of distance but also wrecks your confidence, turning fairways into narrow landing strips. This guide will walk you through the fundamental reasons your ball is slicing and provide clear, actionable steps to fix your clubface, correct your swing path, and finally start hitting disciplined, powerful draws.

Understanding the Slice: The Simple Reason Your Ball Curves

_Before you can fix the slice, you have to understand what causes it._ At its core, a slice is a ball that curves excessively to the right (for a right-handed golfer) because it's spinning clockwise through the air. This sidespin is applied at the moment of impact and is caused by two main factors working against each other:

• The clubface is open (pointing to the right of your swing path).
• The swing path is traveling from out-to-in (the club is moving from outside your target line to inside it as you hit the ball).

Imagine your clubface is the steering wheel and your swing path is the direction the car is traveling. If the car is moving left but you turn the steering wheel to the right, you get a nasty slice. Most amateur slicers combine a steep, "over the top" swing path with a wide-open clubface, a combination that guarantees a weak shot into the right trees. We’re going to fix both of these issues, starting with the one that has the biggest influence: the clubface.

Step 1: Get Control of Your Clubface

If your clubface is open at impact, the ball will slice. It's that simple. You can swing a club perfectly on an inside-out path, but with an open face, you’ll just hit a a "push-slice" that starts right and curves even more right. The number one cause of an open clubface is a weak grip. Fixing your hold on the club is the fastest way to start taming your slice.

The Problem: The "Weak" Grip

A "weak" grip isn't about pressure, it's about the placement of your hands on the handle. In a weak grip, the hands are rotated too far to the left (for a righty), placing the thumbs more on top of the shaft. While it might feel natural, this position encourages the clubface to rotate open on its own during the backswing and through impact. Many golfers adopt this grip without realizing it's the root of their problem.

The Solution: Building a Stronger, More Neutral Grip

We need to rotate your hands slightly to the right on the club, into what is called a "stronger" grip. This isn't about squeezing harder, it's about positioning them to give you control. This will feel strange at first - that’s a sign you’re doing it right.

Lead Hand (Left Hand for a Right-Handed Golfer):

1. Place the club in the fingers of your left hand, primarily from the base of your pinky to the middle of your index finger. Don't place it in your palm.
2. Rotate your hand to the right so that when you look down, you can clearly see at least two, and ideally three, knuckles on the back of your hand.
3. The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger should point toward your right shoulder. This is a massive change for most slicers, whose "V" often points straight up their chin.

Trail Hand (Right Hand for the Right-Handed Golfer):

1. Your right hand should also hold the club in the fingers.
2. Place it on the club so the lifeline of your right palm covers your left thumb.
3. The "V" formed by your right thumb and index finger should also point toward your right shoulder, parallel to the V of your left hand.

Commit to this new grip. Go to the range and hit 50 balls with only this grip, no matter where they go. It will feel odd, even uncomfortable, but it’s the most important mechanical change a slicer can make. It "pre-sets" the clubface in a square-to-closed position, making it much harder to leave open at impact.

Step 2: Correct Your Swing Path

Once your grip is setting the clubface correctly, we can work on the engine of the swing - your path. The quintessential slicer’s move is called "coming over the top." This happens during the transition from the backswing to the downswing. The golfer initiating the downswing with their shoulders and arms, throwing the clubhead *outside* the target line and then cutting across the ball from out to in.

Our goal is to reverse this. We want the club to approach the ball from the *inside,* allowing you to swing out towards the target and imparting a right-to-left draw spin on the ball.

The Root Cause: The Body is a Rotational Engine

Remember, the golf swing is a rotational action. It's a circle around your body, not an up-and-down chopping motion. The "over the top" move happens when you try to generate power with just your arms and shoulders, essentially breaking that circle. We fix this by teaching the body to lead the downswing, letting the arms simply follow.

Drill 1: The Headcover "Gate" Drill

This drill provides immediate feedback if you are making that dreaded over-the-top move.

• Take your normal address position.
• Place a headcover (or a rolled-up towel) on the ground about one foot outside and slightly behind your golf ball.
• The goal is simple: hit the ball without hitting the headcover.
• A slicer, swinging from out-to-in, will almost always strike the headcover on the way down.
• To avoid it, your brain instinctively figures out it must drop the club to the inside on the downswing. This starts building the feeling of an inside attack path. Start with half-swings and build up to full swings.

Drill 2: The Right Foot Back Drill

This is a fantastic drill to promote an inside-out path and force your body to rotate correctly.

• Set up to the ball as you normally would.
• Now, drop your right foot (for a righty) back about 8-10 inches, so it's behind and away from the target line.
• This closed stance physically blocks you from swinging over the top. It practically forces you to swing from the inside to get the club back to the ball.
• Start with small, easy swings with a mid-iron. You'll feel how the club has to approach from shallow and behind you. You may even hit some hooks - that’s a great sign! It means the path is changing.

Putting It All Together on the Course

Fixing years of slicing habits won't happen overnight. It requires patience and a methodical approach. Don't try to fix your grip and your swing path at the same time on your first try. Master one, then the other.

1. Isolate the Grip: Spend time at home just getting used to your newer, stronger grip. Take practice swings in the living room. Go to the range and hit shots focused *only* on the grip, not the outcome.
2. Introduce the Path: Once the grip feels less alien, start incorporating the path drills. Use the Headcover Drill or the Right Foot Back Drill to engrain the feeling of swinging from the inside.
3. Combine and Slow Down: Once you're comfortable with both parts, try to put them together. The important part here is to start with 50-60% swing speed. A fast, uncontrolled swing will cause you to revert to your old habits. Smooth, slower swings are where new motor patterns are built.

Your goal is to transform your swing thought from a tense, armsy "whack" at the ball to a fluid, body-led rotation where you feel the club approaching from the inside and releasing toward the target.

Final Thoughts

To eliminate your slice, you must address its two primary causes: an open clubface and an out-to-in swing path. By strengthening your grip to gain control of the face and training your body to sequence correctly so the club approaches from the inside, you will fundamentally change your ball flight from a weak slice to a powerful draw.

Building a new swing takes time, and translating range practice to the golf course can be challenging. We designed Caddie AI to be your personal coach, especially for those difficult moments during a round. If you feel that dreaded slice creeping back in, you can get instant, simple advice on shot strategy or ask it a question about your swing tendencies to reset your focus and make smarter, more confident decisions on your next shot.